The Acura's wide net leads to confusion about what aiming to be. "It's torn between being luxurious and soft like a Lincoln, sporty like an Alfa, or techy like an Audi, and those things sorta cancel each other out," Christian Seabaugh observed.

With a powerful 2.0-liter turbo-four engine derived from the Civic Type R, the RDX sends power to all four wheels via Acura's Super Handling All-Wheel Drive. We enjoyed driving the RDX on winding roads in Sport+ mode, but we didn't feel the emotion we expected.

Overall, "the drive, the package, and the cargo space at the price Acura is asking make this a fairly compelling prospect," Frank Markus said.

However, there was one unanimous complaint: the RDX's vague braking feel and response. Given that Acura equipped the RDX with "limousine" brakes, slowing down precisely was frustrating for many. Said Scott Evans: "Trying to make a stop sign is much harder than it needs to be."

The exterior design is a step forward for Acura, but its busy lines and massive grille and logo kept it from winning our hearts. Inside, there's a steep learning curve to control the infotainment system via its touchpad, which Angus MacKenzie described as "distractingly difficult to use on the road."